Hotel California Recap of Part I
by RedtoBlue
Summary: A detailed recap of Part I before I start posting Part II


**Recap of Part I**

The summer of 1985. Jack Twist is a CIA deep cover intelligence officer posted as a junior staffer of the US Information Agency (USIA) at the US Embassy in Moscow. This is his first operational posting, following a few months at the US Consulate in Frankfurt. Only two people at the Embassy are aware of Jack's true occupation: William Osbourne, who in both his posting as the embassy Cultural Affairs Officer (CAO) and in his covert CIA role is Jack's direct boss; and Marat Nurimbekoff, the head of the CIA Moscow Station. Jack's job is to identify, become friends with potential candidates, then recruit them to work for the Agency and eventually run them as their handler. While he hasn't been assigned a major project or agent yet, Jack helps other case officers by loading/off-loading dead drops and doing brush-passes of information to agents run by them. Other Moscow Station officers don't know it's Jack who performs these tasks for them.

Jack doesn't look or behave like a typical diplomat. He wears jeans and cowboy boots away from the office and drives around in a Mustang convertible. He hangs out with the Russian staff of the American Embassy as well as the Marine guards, launches easily into small talk with locals on the street or in the shops. He never misses an opportunity to show off his fluent Russian, as well as his knowledge of Russian history and culture. He projects the image of a chatty, impulsive and very friendly, not particularly deep American – the type that usually isn't taken too seriously, let alone suspected of being a spy.

Using a rookie with such an unconventional cover is part of a new tactical plan developed by the Head of Covert Operations of the CIA's Soviet and Eastern European Division (SE Div), Joe Cohen, who is known in the Agency for his unorthodox and intricate schemes. He recruited Jack into the Agency when Jack was in college in California.

Joe and Jack had first met when Jack was in the Army on a military base in Germany. As a pool driver, Jack was assigned to drive Joe around when he was visiting the base for a mission. On one of these trips they became lovers, though to Jack's disappointment Joe was not interested in a relationship. Joe did become Jack's mentor, though, and helped him, amongst other things, to deal with being gay in the military. He is the only person in Jack's life who is aware of his homosexuality.

Jack comes from a poor background, having grown up on a struggling ranch in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming. His mother died when Jack was fourteen, leaving him with his frequently drunk and abusive father. As a teenager, the only person who seemed to care for him was his young high school English teacher, who gave Jack books – and sometimes food – and taught him to appreciate literature. He had his first sexual experience with her, although by that time he was aware that he was primarily attracted to men.

At 17, Jack fled the ranch, lied his way into the Army and was posted first to an airbase in California, then to a NATO base in Germany. After he left the military he went back to California and enrolled at California State University in Long Beach. On the advice of Joe, he majored in Russian and international studies. He tried to date girls, and was even briefly engaged to one, but he was ultimately a failure as a straight man.

After graduation he was recruited by the CIA and posted overseas as a diplomat with the USIA. However, his secret lifelong dream has been to own a ranch in California. He tells himself that he is going to save money in his new career to realize his dream one day.

As an assistant CAO, Jack handles a number of projects and tasks related to cultural and educational exchanges between America and Russia. One of them is coordinating a joint research program on nuclear winter conducted by two groups of scientists and students – one from the University of California at Berkeley and the other from the Moscow State University (MGU). Smaller assignments include escorting and entertaining a visiting jazz diva from Chicago and looking after the daughter of the Soviet Deputy Minister of Culture when they attend a July 4th reception at the American ambassador's residence.

The daughter, Lara Novikova, turns out to be a sophisticated young woman with a wild streak. She is a bit spoilt by her status as a _nomenclatura_ girl, but is generous and friendly. She's a fourth year student at the State Institute of Cinematography, a future actress. Lara immediately lays claim to Jack as her potential trophy and invites him to the dress rehearsal of a student concert at MGU where she and her friend will be performing.

Jack accepts the invitation, and soon after he arrives he encounters a tall, blond man in a corridor. They exchange glances that leave Jack unsettled. The blond man turns out to be a friend of Lara's and the very talented lead singer of a student band called Wings. She tells Jack the young man's name is Ennis Del Mar Volkonsky and that his father was an American.

Jack recognizes his Russian surname because Professor Volkonsky is the leader of the Soviet nuclear winter team. He is hailed by the Soviets as the 'father of nuclear winter theory', which postulates that a multiple nuclear strikes would cause cataclysmic climate change.

Lara confirms that Ennis is Professor Volkonsky's grandson and that his mother, a prominent translator of English literature, is the scientist's daughter.

During the Wings' performance, Lara requests a song that she dedicates to Jack, explaining that it's the best one in their repertoire. Ennis' rendition of the song _Hotel California_ is intense and brilliant.

When the concert is over and they're waiting for the band to pack up so they can all go out to dinner, Lara introduces Jack to her director, Victor Victorovich Karelin. Jack is surprised because the director seems overtly gay, yet homosexuality is a criminal offence in the Soviet Union and a conviction can mean years in a gulag.

They talk about Ennis. Karelin has a high opinion of the young man and says that he is very gifted, but that unfortunately he is not focused enough to hone any of his many talents. He also seems keen to get Ennis and his band to join one of his experimental shows, but Ennis keeps turning him down. Lara promises to persuade Ennis to accept Karelin's invitation. Jack feels that the Russian director is too enthusiastic about Ennis and doesn't like it.

During the drive to the restaurant, Lara fills Jack in on Ennis's background.

At 21 he is the youngest post-grad student in the Physics Department of MGU. He used to be on the university's junior boxing team but was ejected for drinking and fighting. He lives on his own, while most Soviet men prefer to live with women – mothers or wives – to be taken care of. He writes and sings his own songs, as well as foreign ones.

After their dinner together, Jack wants to pay the bill, but Ennis objects. He seems unfriendly and sulky. Lara steps in and tells Ennis to let Jack pay, as a token of their new acquaintance. In return, they will invite Jack to the dacha of one of them for lunch. Ennis reluctantly agrees, yet immediately invites Jack to his own dacha for lunch the following Saturday. Jack hesitates: that's the day of the LiveAid concert and he has made plans to go to Helsinki to watch the live broadcast of the event – and get the sex he desperately needs. But to his own surprise, he accepts the invitation.

The following Monday, William calls Jack into his office to read the microfilmed file on Prof. Volkonsky that he has just received from the HQ. From the file, Jack learns that Prof. Volkonsky's daughter Vera was married to, then divorced from Emil Jonathan Del Mar, an ex-NSA cryptologist who defected to the Soviet Union in 60s, together with his friend, and allegedly lover, Martin Hamilton.

Perplexed by this coincidence, Jack tells William about his acquaintance, through Lara, with Ennis Del Mar Volkonsky and his friends. William instructs Jack to develop a friendship with this group of Soviet students, especially with Ennis and Lara.

Jack goes to Helsinki as planned, but only for two days. He doesn't manage to get laid, as the only gay bar he knows from his previous trip is closed, and has to make do with a blowjob from a waitress in the restroom of a cafe. The trip is nevertheless useful as he can buy gifts for his hosts.

Jack returns to Moscow and drives Lara to Peredelkino, where Ennis's family's dacha is located. This is one of the two places outside of Moscow that Jack can visit without a travel permit. Ennis comes out to meet them and Jack finally sees that the young man can actually smile and be friendly. But he refuses to talk about California and cuts the conversation short when his younger friend Anton, a whiz-kid from Faculty of Mathematics, tell Jack that Ennis knows an awful lot about it.

Jack is fascinated by Ennis's extraordinary background and personality, but he is also put off by the youth's strange, almost rude behavior. It also bothers him that Ennis stubbornly refuses to call him by name.

The morning after the lunch at the dacha, Ennis phones Jack to convey his mother's apologies for not being able to host him the previous day and to thank him for the presents Jack brought with him. He also tells Jack that Wings are going to play in Gorky Park in the afternoon and invites Jack to come.

Jack goes to eat his Sunday brunch at the Embassy diner but when he arrives he learns that a staff diplomat, Peter Strauss, was detained by the KGB the previous night.

Jack knows that Pete is actually one of the Moscow Station's case officers. Since he enjoys diplomatic immunity, the only way the KGB could have detained him was to catch him spying red-handed. Jack is worried because this is the third case of asset roll-up by the Soviet organs in the four months since Jack arrived in Moscow.

In the afternoon, Jack brings three Marine friends along to Gorky Park for the open-air concert. When Ennis comes on stage with his band, he spots Jack in the crowd and seems pleased. They play a few English rock ballads, but when they begin a hard rock song, militia and plainclothes police intervene. Jack decides to leave and as he does he gives a special salute with his left fist to Ennis, who nods and turns away indifferently. But once outside a few minutes later, Jack hears the band playing Hotel California.

On Monday local TV announces the arrest of Peter Strauss. Jack is called to a secure room in the Embassy, called the Tank, and briefed by Marat Nurimbekoff and William. They warn him that his deep cover will be pierced soon because all case officers must be fully on board and in the know. Jack learns that, as he feared, the agent who was arrested with Peter is non-KGB. Marat asks Jack to pick up a signal left in town by one of William's agents because William is about to go out of the country.

While driving back from the signal site, Jack notices a man holding a plastic Woolworth's bag standing on the curb. When Jack slows down to look, the man looks at him and mouths "help". Jack returns to the Embassy and recounts the incident to Marat in the Tank. He recalls that the bag had white letters on a red background instead of the usual red on white and wonders if it is a distress signal from one of their agents. He asks Marat if the Agency uses specially-made Woolworths bags for this purpose. Marat says no, but that other agencies do and hints that the man could be a British agent. He commends Jack for reporting the incident immediately.

The next day Amanda Plante, a British-born free-lance cultural columnist for a couple American newspapers calls Jack to invite him out for lunch the next day. She married to a prominent correspondent for the U.S. News and World Report, Mike Demidoff, who is twice her age. Jack and Amanda maintain a strange, flirty friendship which to outsiders resembles an affair and serves to reinforce Jack's image as a lady's man. They meet regularly for lunches and dinners, and Amanda even occasionally invites Jack to her and Mike's home.

They have lunch at one of the restaurants downtown. When Amanda excuses herself and leaves to the ladies, Jack suddenly realizes that they have had several lunches here in a trot and Amanda has been behaving in the same manner. When she is back, Jack drops the word 'Woolworths' into their chit-chat. Amanda reacts to it very subtly, but enough for Jack to suspect that she knows the signal. They change the subject to the Soviet rock scene and Amanda tells Jack that Bob Dylan is going to perform in Moscow on the eve of the Youth and Student Festival. Jack asks her to get him 10 tickets for his Soviet friends.

The following day Jack receives the list of the members of the Soviet nuclear winter team from Prof. Volkonsky's lab. It turns out that Ennis is on the team, as well as his friends Anton and Grisha whom Jack already met. However, the list doesn't include the name of one person, whose participation has been specially requested by Berkeley and the WMO—Dr. Alexin, the author of the nuclear winter computer model.

Jack calls Prof. Volkonsky lab to find out why. As he's speaking to the secretary, Ennis drops in and asks to talk to Jack when he learns who is on the line. During their conversation, Ennis reveals that nobody knows where Dr. Alexin is and that they have been asked not to tell the Americans anything. (As Jack will learn a few days later from a cable from his HQ, Dr. Alexin disappeared in Madrid three months earlier, after attending an international conference on nuclear winter, and nobody has heard anything about him ever since.)

Jack invites Ennis to the Bob Dylan concert, even though he doesn't have the tickets yet. Ennis accepts the invitation and gives Jack his telephone number, saying that Jack can call him as late as midnight.

The following day Amanda calls to let Jack know that she's got the ticket for him. However, a day later Jack also receives a cable instructing him to go to Munich the next day. He guesses that it is about the Hamilton - Del Mar file from the NSA which, as William said, the NSA refused to ship to Moscow. He calls Amanda and then Ennis to arrange for the concert ticket pick-up and promises Ennis that he will try to return from his trip in time for the concert.

In Munich, he finds out that Randall Malone with whom he is supposed to meet is in fact Joe Cohen. They haven't seen each other for over a year. Joe tells him that the Division has decided to assign 2 important inter-related projects to Jack. One is the nuclear winter project which the State Department has requested the Agency to 'cover' for them. The other is the case of Ennis Del Mar Volkonsky whom the NSA has requested the Agency to 'develop' and jointly run as an agent. Jack has been selected to do the job. The both components are rolled into one project code-named Operation Light Water.

As they drive from Munich to the US Army Garrison at Garmish, Joe informally tells Jack that the British intelligence service is grateful to him for passing on the distress signal of their most valuable agent, who has been successfully exfiltrated as a result. He also tells Jack that this is the 5th case of western intelligence agencies' asset rolled-up by the KGB in the last few months, but the source of the leak has yet to be identified.

Then Joe propositions Jack but he turns him down, claiming fear of the polygraph tests he must take on a regular basis. The rejection doesn't seem to bother Joe.

At the garrison, Jack reads the Hamilton – Del Mar file about the two NSA cryptologists who defected to the USSR in 1960. A scandal erupted and the two were labeled 'queer traitors'. A witch hunt was launched, followed by major change of securities procedures at most of the US government's intelligence agencies regarding hiring homosexuals. In the following 10 years, neither the NSA nor any other investigative committee was able to find any proof that the pair was gay. However, this information was withheld and for the public at large they remained a couple of 'queer traitors'. In Russia, Martin Hamilton settled down in Leningrad and Emil Del Mar in Moscow, where he married Vera Volkonskaya and worked at the MGU in one of her father's projects. Emil and Vera divorced 5 years into the marriage and one year after Martin's death. In 1976, Emil died from alcoholic intoxication. He was originally from Eureka, California.

Joe briefs Jack on his new assignment as the two take a hike in the Alps surrounding the garrison. He asks Jack if he thinks Ennis is queer; Jack says no. Joe tells him that the NSA wants to know if Ennis is gay and wants him to be seduced and then blackmailed into working for the two Agencies. Joe further reveals that the nuclear winter project and the recruitment of Ennis Del Mar are only Part A of Operation Light Water, to be run at the request of the State Department and the NSA, respectively. Part A is to be replaced by Part B if Ennis turns out to be a KGB informer. In that case, Joe warns Jack, he would likely get 'pitched' by them (they would attempt to recruit him) when they learn from Ennis that he is gay. According to Part B, Jack will let them recruit him, thus becoming a dangler (double agent) through whom disinformation will be fed to the KGB. For starters, he will 'sell' the State Department's nuclear winter agenda to the KGB.

Jack realizes that placing him as a double agent is Joe's ultimate objective of the Op. Joe is convinced that his seduction as a bait scheme will work because the KGB knows about the CIA's security policy regarding homosexuals and will never expect it to use this kind of 'honey trap' on them. Jack doesn't like the idea of being a 'honey trap', but Joe indicates that this has already been decided. Besides, there are benefits for Jack: he will get an early promotion, and while on this operation he will be exempt from the polygraph tests.

At the end of the hike, Jack tells Joe he wants to return to Moscow the next day if their briefing will be over, instead of enjoying four days off in Munich. He explains that he's keen to go back to take Ennis, Lara and their friends to Bob Dylan concert and start getting close to the group.

After going through the details of the ops with Joe, Jack leaves the garrison and drives back to Munich. The next morning he reads in the newspapers that Rock Hudson has been hospitalized in Paris with AIDS. The news shocks Jack and as a result, instead of seeking out a discreet gay bar, he picks up and goes home with a woman.

The following day, Jack's return flight to Moscow is delayed and he arrives after the concert has started. Upset, he calls Ennis and leaves an innocuous message on his answering machine.

The next morning is the opening of The XII World Youth and Student Festival. Ennis calls Jack back early in the morning. They talk about Bob Dylan concert, which turned out not to be a concert but a poetry recital night during which Bob Dylan sang a few songs. Jack says that he will be visiting the Soviet students club with the American delegates and hopes to see Ennis there.

Jack is tasked with escorting the American delegates of leftist youth and student organizations to the Festival's various activities and events.

The grand opening of the festival takes place at the Lenin Stadium, attended by delegates from 150 countries. In his opening speech, Mikhail Gorbachev makes a surprise declaration: the Soviet Union is unilaterally imposing a 6-month moratorium on nuclear weapon testing beginning August 6, the 40th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. The festival continues in the same spirit, with rallies and forums against 'reactionary forces' and for 'the world without wars and weapons'.

On Monday morning Jack comes back to work and finds that the Soviet organs have instituted new security rules for everyone entering the Embassy. The militzia guard stops him and demands his ID, even though Jack knows that the man recognizes him. Consistent with his cover, Jack makes a scene and refuses to show his ID. The Marines come out to the gate and get into a shoving match with the Soviet militzia guards.

Later, Jack learns from William that the system had been instituted at all western Embassies. Jack suspects it's a consequence of the exfiltration by the MI6 of their agent. William congratulates Jack on his new assignment, but grudgingly. Jack does not get along that well with his direct boss, even though most of the people at the Embassy believe Jack is William's protégé. William often makes subtle, snide remarks about Jack's skills and capabilities, and insinuations regarding Joe's special patronage of him. These allusions make Jack nervous and he keeps reminding himself to ask Joe what William knows.

William instructs Jack to first run by him and Marat any moves he intends to make with Ennis or his friends and family. He also specifically instructs Jack to develop the relationship with Lara, even though he knows Joe is not bullish on this angle. As they are leaving the briefing room, William tells Jack to watch out for retribution for the incident with the militzia guards at the gates.

Jack accompanies the American delegation to the MGU for a political forum with Soviet students. He hopes to run into Ennis here, but fails to find him in the crowd of official-looking Russians. After 15 minutes at the forum, Jack sneaks out for a smoke, sitting down on the windowsill in a far corner of the corridor. He is soon surprised by Ennis, who was in the auditorium, saw Jack leave and followed him out.

Jack and Ennis have a long conversation about politics, the nuclear winter project, Dr. Alexin, Ennis's unique background and his English skills. Jack suggests that they speak English when they are alone together, which Ennis agrees to after some hesitation.

Ennis tells Jack that there are two different viewpoints about nuclear winter theory and that the debate cuts across the Soviet and American echelons. As the result, Prof. Ackerman (the leader of Berkeley exchange team) and his group are on the same side as Prof. Volkonsky, but Ennis himself and Dr. Alexin, who disappeared, adhere to the other line of thought. Ennis also explains to Jack that the aim of the exchange program Jack is coordinating is to review all nuclear winter studies and models, fine tune the jointly developed mathematical model and come up with conclusions about the results. What strikes Jack most in Ennis's account is the assumption that even if only a fraction of the nuclear arsenal both sides possess is dropped on a thousand cities around the globe in one nuclear exchange, the planet can be plunged into a nuclear winter. He also questions what will happen to the people at these 1000 bombing sites as well as those who survive the initial strikes.

At the end of their conversation Ennis invites Jack to the Soviet Students Club for the gala concert and discotheque. Jack promises to come. As Ennis leaves and turns the corner, he makes the special left fisted salute to Jack.

Recalling that he hasn't talked to Amanda since he came back from his trip to Munich, Jack calls her. She is tied up with the festival events too, but says that she will be at the Soviet Club for the gala and will accompany Dean Reed, who will be performing there. Does Jack know who he is? Jack does know that Reed is an American singer-actor who lives in Eastern Germany, but says he doesn't. Amanda promises to introduce him to the man.

On the day of the gala concert, Jack arrives at the Soviet Club early. He sits down in the lobby of Hotel Cosmos, where the Soviet Club is housed, and as the performers arrive in groups he talks to each of them. While all Ennis's friends seem to like him, Jack is bummed that Ennis acts distant again, despite their long conversation two days earlier.

He then learns from Lara that Ennis has finally agreed to take part in one of Karelin's shows and that today Wings will perform excerpts of a rock opera together with young actors from Karelin's studio. Lara says part of the show features excerpts from the rock opera 'Juno and Avos' and Jack recalls that its story line is about one of Ennis's ancestors, Count Nikolai Rezanov, and his love affair with a Californian girl named Conchita. Jack wonders how they have managed to persuade Ennis to take part in Karelin's show. Lara suggests it may be because the opera is about California, Ennis's childhood obsession. For a moment Jack thoughts wander off and he draws an analogy between the sad love story of Count Rezanov and Conchita from California, the sad story of Vera Volkonskaya and Emil Del Mar from California and Jack himself with his California dreams. He then berates himself over this silly line of thinking, as he isn't event Ennis's friend yet.

As Amanda and Dean Reed arrive, he is introduced to Karelin, the Soviet club team and the performers go backstage to prepare for the concert. Jack and Amanda go down to the restaurant for a snack. When Jack remarks that Karelin isn't particularly discreet about his interest in men, Amanda explains that he refuses to hide the fact that he is gay, because he wants to be accepted with all his talents and failings. The only reason the organs haven't touched him yet is because he has high up protectors.

Amanda mentions that a local rock guru, a friend of hers, thought so highly of Ennis' singing and playing that he even invited him to participate in one of semi-official rock festivals in Leningrad. But Ennis turned down the invitation. Jack mentions that he is the coordinator of a joint project for which Ennis's grandfather is head of the Soviet side. Amanda then says that she will bring her friend to introduce to Jack one day and he can bring his Russian friends, too. Jack suspects that she is more interested in the project Jack coordinates than in the Russian rockers.

The gala concert starts with a formal part where Dean Reed sings. The second part is Karelin's experimental opera in which Ennis and Lara sing the lead parts. The staging of the show is so bold and unusual for this country that it leaves Jack and Amanda wondering how it got past the State censors. Ennis' performance is intense and raw and by the end the audience won't let the singers go. The third part of the concert consists of the performance by Wings and a Cuban student band called Marianao. The concert ends with Ennis singing Hotel California in Cuban style accompanied by Marianao.

After the concert Amanda leaves. Jack stays back for the discotheque. He feels drained and is tired of pretending to be someone he isn't. He has to talk himself into doing his job because eventually it will lead him to his ultimate goal—a ranch in California.

While waiting for the discotheque to start, Jack takes a smoke behind a large pillar. He overhears a conversation between Ennis and a friend of his named Mara. Ennis tries to persuade Mara to rethink her involvement with a married man. The girl tells him that her relationship with the man is not simply love, but fate, and that Ennis will only understand her when he meets someone 'for him'.

Affected by the overheard conversation, Jack takes a French leave, telling himself that he believes in neither fate nor love, because, like Joe said, love is not for the likes of him.

The next day Jack wakes up with a huge hangover and finds a nearly empty bottle of whiskey on his bedside table. Lara calls to ask why he disappeared the previous night and he gives food poisoning as an excuse. She offers to bring him home cooking but Jack declines. She asks if he is coming to the festival closing, but Jack isn't sure if he will feel well by the evening.

In the office, William summons Jack and instructs him to bring his car to the Embassy next day. He then writes down on a sheet of paper that Jack is to recall all the people he has come into 'physical contact' with for the last month and the people he met at the HQ at the time that he joined the Agency. Jack is mystified, but compiled the lists as instructed. In the evening he and William come up to the Tank for the meeting with Marat.

The Moscow Station chief asks if Jack has ever met with a Theodore Lee Ward and, when he says no, explains that Ward was a case officer to be placed in Moscow under a deep cover like Jack. He failed polygraph tests just before his posting and was fired. Ward has been selling information to the KGB since then. Marat assures Jack that the FBI is on this case and he doesn't need to worry. When Jack asks how Ward was discovered, Marat informs him that a high-ranking KGB defector walked into the Rome Station the previous day and that the information is from his debriefing.

The other piece of information the defector has given is that the KGB has been using spy dust on Americans again in order to find out which locals some Embassy officers are meeting with. Marat wants Jack's car to be checked up for traces of this spy dust, to see if he is under surveillance. Jack tells his bosses that he has been under very light and sporadic surveillance and thinks that his cover works.

The Berkeley exchange team arrives 2 days later. Jack meets them at the airport and, on the way to their hotel, briefs them about the intricacies of the Soviet life. He knows from their files that 3 out of 6 members of the team have Russian roots: Prof. Ackerman, Sara Gallagan and Val Sitkoff. Jack observes that Sara appears to be smitten by the professor but that there seems to be some sort of rift between her and Val.

On Monday Jack takes the American team to the MGU to meet with their Soviet counterparts. As they are brought to a large auditorium, Prof. Volkonsky greets Prof Ackerman like an old friend then proceeds to present members of his team. Jack notices Ennis as he enters the auditorium, but they are the last to meet, as Jack is last in line. He introduces himself to Volkonsky and the professor mentions that he has heard a lot about Jack from his students. While waiting for Ennis to come up, Jack notices that he is confident and at ease with others and it upsets Jack that the young man is always so edgy talking to him.

Ennis is uneasy again when he shakes hands with Jack and talks to him. He brushes off Jack's apologies for leaving without saying goodbyes after the gala and asks if he has fully recovered. Jack compliments Ennis, saying he was terrific in the show and should sing more. He is aware that this is not the direction in which he is supposed to guide the young man, according to the op, but he tells himself he needs to get friendly with Ennis first. However, Jack's encouragement seems to disturb Ennis and he mumbles that he is a physicist not a singer. Jack doesn't understand the reason for his anxiousness and hastens to assure him that he can certainly do what he likes best, but Jack just got the impression that he enjoyed singing.

Seeing that Ennis is still ill at ease, Jack changes the subject and tells him that he would like to invite him and his crowd over to his place that weekend, for an American dinner. The invitation distresses Ennis even more and he mumbles apologetically that he and his friends have plans to go to the countryside for the weekend. Then Ennis asks Jack if he would like to join them. Jack says he'd love to and will apply for a travel permit the next day. But for this he needs the address of a hotel nearby where he can stay. Ennis says there are no hotels there. However, there is a vacation house there, but he needs to check it out first. He promises Jack to report with news the next day.

However, the next day, when both teams and guests have a welcoming dinner hosted by William, who represents USIA, Ennis doesn't have any news for Jack. He looks upset and keeps apologizing. He tells Jack that he has asked Lara to help.

It is not till the Wednesday evening that Jack learns from Sarah that the MGU has arranged a weekend trip for the American team to the countryside, Jack included.

A trip involving an American diplomat arranged at such a short notice put the Moscow Station on high alert. The Americans believe that the KGB is going to make a move on Jack. Jack goes through a series of briefings with his bosses in preparation for the trip and the potential pitch by the KGB. He is instructed to call Ennis to find out more before the weekend.

Jack is upset. He berates himself for being so trusting with the Russians and believing that they are just innocent students. He calls Ennis from the street. The young man picks up on his mood and asks if everything is okay. Jack makes an effort to shake off his resentment and thanks him for arranging the trip. Ennis says that Jack should really thank Lara as it is she and her father who help to pull it all together at such a short notice.

The day before the trip, Jack is briefed to play hard to get first but eventually give in to whoever is going to make a move on him, be it Lara, Ennis or anyone else in the group. He is to let them pitch and recruit him. Jack realizes that, it's not just Joe's 'honey trap' scheme alone, but the Agency overall has been grooming him as a dangler. He feels resentful about being kept in the dark about his eventual task, but it is too late to do anything about it.

On Friday when he arrives at the hotel where the American team stays, he finds everybody has already gathered there, except Prof Ackerman, Sarah. The group boards the bus and heads out of town. On the bus, Lara sits with Americans chatting, laughing and flirting with them all the time. Jack sits with the Russians.

When they arrive at the vacation house, Lara announces that they are all going to stay here and are going swimming as soon as they've checked in. She talks with the reception and quickly allocates rooms to everybody. Jack is the last and Lara asks him if he minds sharing a room with Ennis; otherwise 4 Russian guys will have to share one room. Jack hesitates: as a diplomat he is not supposed to share a room with locals. Seeing his hesitation, Ennis says he will stay in the village. Jack shakes off his reservations and insists that Ennis share a room with him.

In the room, Jack apologizes to Ennis for acting like a spoilt brat and suggests that Ennis take the bed near the window. Jack wants the bed closer to the bathroom as he thinks he might need to lock himself in there at night. Jack also doesn't think it's a good idea to go swimming with Ennis around. It seems Ennis doesn't want to go swimming either. He tells Jack about the village: it is maintained in the traditional Russian style as a recreation facility for big shots from the Ministry of Culture and for shooting historical movies.

They decide to go to the village. Anton tags along with the two of them. On the way to the village, Jack catches Ennis's eyes on him a couple of times. It looks like he is checking Jack out. But Jack brushes away the idea as ridiculous.

In the village, while Anton goes to fetch the headman, Ennis and Jack stand watching the tall and graceful horses in a pasture. Ennis says that they are Orlov trotters. Jack is surprised that he knows about horses. The young man says that his uncle used to teach him riding and about horses, but he died. Jack knows from the files that the elder son of Prof. Volkonsky died in Afghanistan in 1980, but he has to continue playing the role of a clueless foreigner with Ennis.

After a moment of silence, Ennis asks where about in California Jack is from. Jack says he moved to California when he was twelve, to live with his uncle on his ranch near Sacramento when his parents died. He feels bad and doesn't understand why it is so difficult to feed Ennis his false back-story. Ennis also shares with Jack that his father died when he was twelve too and that his father was from Eureka, California.

When Anton comes back with the headman and 2 sets of tack, Jack persuades Ennis to take a ride with them. Jack rides bareback and feels so exhilarated that he behaves like a youngster. He gets approving cheers from Anton and a look of admiration from Ennis. When they return from the ride, the headman takes them to the stables and then to the barn where Jack charms the village women by milking a cow and telling them he used to be a cowboy on a ranch.

They get back to the vacation house late, and after a quick dinner, the group gathers around the bonfire by the lake. They sing late into the night and finish with Hotel California and Jack thinks it is the best day he can remember ever having.

In their room, Jack and Ennis talk through the night, with Jack telling Ennis about his university days at Cal State. Jack doesn't remember when they fall asleep, but when he wakes up in the morning, Ennis is gone.

The youth doesn't show up for the group's visit to the village and only appears just before lunch in one of the village houses. During the lunch he hardly talks to anyone and avoids looking at Jack. Then by the end of the long lunch with lots of alcohol, he disappears again.

As people start leaving the table to catch a nap in the log cabin, Jack slips out through the back gate and goes for a walk in the forest. He comes across Ennis in the weeping willows thicket along the riverbank. He seems drunk and is jerking off, with his eyes closed. Then he opens his eyes and sees that Jack watching him. They stare at each other for a moment, and Ennis asks gruffly if Jack wants to help. Jack is sure that it's a trap, but can't stop himself. He comes up to Ennis and gives the young man a hand job, with Ennis's both hands around his. He then put Ennis's hand on himself and shoots in his jeans.

When they come to their senses and adjust themselves, they hear Lara's and Howard's voices nearby. Jack whispers to Ennis telling him to sneak away along the river bank under the willows. Jack undresses and walks into the river. Now that he can think straight again, he finally realizes that maybe it wasn't a KGB trap at all, maybe Ennis is gay and lusting after him.

However, for the whole afternoon and evening after their encounter, Ennis acts like nothing have happened between them. Jack is confused and bothered, while Ennis is poker-faced, even when Jack catches him alone in the toilet. In the end he concludes that maybe Ennis was drunk and doesn't remember what happened.

But Jack can't forget. Neither can he sleep that night. He then realizes that Ennis isn't sleeping either. Jack calls to him and suggests going for a swim in the lake. Ennis agrees.

They meet at the trailhead and go back into the thicket of weeping willows, undress and dive into the lake. After a moment of misunderstood intensions, they finally put their hands on each other and Jack suggests they take it to the shore

Out of the water, Jack finds himself wrapped up tight in Ennis's arms. The young man kisses Jack, then goes down on him, after saying that he has never wanted anything this much in his life. Jack lets Ennis do whatever he wants with him, but they never get down to fucking. Even so, Jack is overwhelmed with sensations and feelings he has never experienced before.

After the swim, Jack returns to their room first and falls asleep before Ennis comes back. In the morning, when he opens his eyes, he sees Ennis sitting on the floor in front of his bed, watching him. Ennis says he wants to show Jack something. He tells Jack to meet him at the garage. When Jack gets there, Ennis takes him for a ride on an old motorbike with a sidecar. He refuses to tell Jack where he is taking him.

After a long ride, they stop at the head of another forest. They walk for few minutes and Jack sees a blue meadow, which initially he thinks a forest pond. When they approach the meadow, it turns out that it is thickly covered with blooming cornflowers of striking, deep blue color. Jack asks how Ennis has found this place. When the young man responses evasively, Jack figures that he was missing the day before because he was scouting for this place to take Jack here. As Jack is saying he has never before seen (cornflowers of) such a striking color, Ennis says 'neither have I' and Jack realizes he means Jack's eyes, not the flowers and that the trip to this place is Ennis's extravagant compliment to him.

They finally get down to having sex and Ennis asks to be fucked. Jack takes his time preparing Ennis, something he has never done for anyone before. He wants him to feel at least half as good as he makes Jack feel. When they pull their clothes on, Ennis wiggles around and lays his head on Jack's side. This is a first for Jack too, as he is not into after-sex cuddling. He carefully wraps his arm across Ennis's midsection and Ennis relaxes. He lit a cigarette and they share one and Jack wonders how a cigarette can taste so perfect.

Ennis then catches Jack off guards again by asking what the name of Jack's dog when he was a kid was. Jack says he called it Ace and asks why Ennis has asked. The young man starts by saying 'I use to know', then stops and starts again, telling Jack that his father used to tell him about the son of his neighbor rancher in California—the boy's name was also Jack and he had a dog called Buddy. Jack is pretty sure Ennis is lying, but can't tell which part is a lie, because the story is so innocent that it sounds like it could be genuine.

They talk about Ennis's father, his grandfather and about California. The details of Ennis's account is consistent with what Jack has read in the Agency's files. Jack is getting more convinced that Ennis isn't with the KGB. When Jack casually asks if Ennis wants to visit California one day, he responds that it's the second thing he's ever wanted. Knowing from Lara about Ennis's childhood obsession with California, Jack figures out since when California has moved to the second place.

Before they head back to the vacation house, Ennis thanks Jack for making him feel so free, so himself. His tone is so passionate that it makes Jack worried. He tells Ennis that he must be very careful. Ennis promises to be careful, but his eyes are sad. Jack thinks that they will need to deal with 'it' somehow.

Back in Moscow, Jack immerses himself fully into his work and barely has time to get in touch with Ennis and his friends. Besides, there are many things going on to keep his mind occupied. While he is told that his car is clear of spy dust, the substance has been found on cars and door handles of other Moscow Station's case officers and military attaches. This matter becomes a diplomatic issue, spills into international press and raises uproar in America. Jack's workload increases after this incident because of the limited number of diplomats with Russian language skills at the Embassy. Jack stays late one night and helps the Marines to fight off the Russian fire brigade as they try to enter the Embassy grounds when a fire erupted in the commissary.

In mid September, Amanda calls Jacks to say goodbye, saying she is leaving Mike and Moscow. Jack is shocked and wants to meet with her, but Amanda says she is leaving the next day. A week after her departure, international press carries front-page news about the expulsion of 25 Soviet diplomats by the British government. The press also reports on the defection of a senior KGB official, Oleg Gordievsky, to England. A spate of tit-for-tat expulsions by the Russians and Brits erupts, resulting in 31 diplomats and some civilians being evicted from each country. These events give grounds to Jack and the Moscow Station to believe that Amanda was with MI6 and possibly was a courier for Gordievsky, the man with Woolworth's bag. And the 'affair' with Jack was probably her additional cover, as it was his, too.

Around the same time, Jack reads a series of articles in TIME magazine about AIDS. After Rock Hudson's public admission about his infection, AIDS has ceased to be a gay-man plague and overnight becomes a disaster of international proportion. The stories TIME carries are both harrowing and heartbreaking and make Jack think of Ennis. And the fact that they had unprotected sex. Jack decides that he needs to get himself tested at one of the blood donation points outside of Russia. He also needs to tell Ennis about AIDS and that he must be very careful, even with Jack. Jack berates himself for being such a lousy friend, for calling Ennis only once after the long weekend and leaving a message on his answering machine—after all Ennis did for him. He decides to call Ennis as soon as possible.

He waits till it is almost midnight and calls Ennis from a pay phone on the street. When the phone is picked up, he hears Lara's drunken voice, squealing Ennis's name and 'let go of me'. Jack hangs up and walks out into the night.


End file.
